Dryer and heater for granular material



Jan. 25, 1966 R. 1 DIETERT 3,230,635

DRYER AND HEATER FOR GRANULAR MATERIAL Original Filed July 9, 1962 32T'T "Hi i: :Il :is 'l n64 e: in f'e l l .I IlI i! Il; Ll". l:

RANDOLPH L. DIETERT HOT AIR wml-01.2.)

UNDER PRESSURE 24 ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,230,635 DRYER ANDHEATER EGR GRANULAR MATERIAL Randolph L. Dietert, Detroit, Mich.,assigner to Harry W.

Dietert Co., Detroit, Mich., a corporation ot' Michigan Originalapplication July 9, 1962, Ser. No. 208,442.

Divided and this application Sept. 23, 1963, Ser. No.

Claims. (Cl. 34-57) This is a division of application Serial No.208,442, tiled July 9, 1967..

The invent-ion relates to granular material conditioning apparatus andrefers more specifically to structure for treating granular materialbetween a conditioning mill therefor and the location of utilization ofthe conditioned granular material to compensate for dilferentdistancesbetween the conditioning mill and the location of utilizationofthe conditioned granular material.

In present-day foundries, granular material for use in constructingmolds and the like is often conditioned a considerable distance from thelocation at which the granular material is utilized.. Further, thedistance between the location at which the granular material isconditioned andthe location at which the conditioned granular materialis utilized is not always the same, That is to say at diiferenttimesconditioned granular material maybe moved on a conveyor dilierentdistances before it is utilized.

In some installations granular material from a single granular materialconditioning mill is carried by means of conveyors or the like to aplurality of locations at different distances from the conditioningmill.

Also, in the conditioning of granular material, it has been founddesirable to control the conditioning by determining a physical propertysuch as moldability of a continuous sample of granular materialwithdrawn from the conditioning mill. The structure for determining themoldability of the sample of granular material is usually positionedclose to the granular material conditioning mill, while the location atwhich the conditioned granular material is to be utilized willnormallybe considerably further removed from the conditioning mill. Themoldability or other physical property determined close to the granularmaterial conditioning mill will not provide a-tjrue indication of thephysical property at the utilizing location, since on traveling a longerdistance the conditioned granular material is subject to air currentsand internal movement which tend to change the temperature of and dryoutthe granular material, thereby changing the physical property.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide structurefor compensating for the eiiect on the physical properties ofconditioned granular material of transporting the conditioned granularmaterial different distances.

Another object is to provide structure for compensating conditionedgranular material for the distance of travel thereof to provide granularmaterial of uniform physical properties comprising a trough, means forpassing the granulargmaterial along the trough, openings extendingthrough the trough, and means for blowing heated air Athrough thegranular material as it passes along thetrough.

Another object is to provide compensating structure for conditionedgranular material as set forth above and further including a chimneypositioned over the trough opposite the openings in the trough intowhich the granular material is blown by the heated air.

Another object is to provide compensating structure for conditionedgranular material as set forth above 3,236,635 Patented Jan.. 25, 1966wherein the chimney includes baffles extending thereacross andlongitudinally of the trough for dening granular material ilow in thechimney.

Another object is to provide structure for compensating granularmaterial for dilierent distances between the location at which thegranular material is conditioned and the location of utilization thereofwhich is simple, economical and eicient.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent as thedescription proceeds, especially when taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of theinvention, wherein:

FIGURE l is an elevation view of granular material conditioningapparatus including structure for compening conditioned granularmaterial for the difference in distance between a granular materialconditioning mill and means for separating the conditioned granularmaterial in accordance with the moldability thereof relative to thedistance between the granular material conditioning mill and a locationof utilization of conditioned granular material constructed inaccordance with the invention.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged section view of the compensating structureillustrated in FIGURE 1 taken substantially on the line 2 2 of FIGURE l.

FIGURE 3 is a section view of a portion of the granular materialconditioning apparatus illustrated in FIG- URE 1 and the compensatingstructure illustrated in FlGURE 2 and taken substantially on the line 33 in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a transverse cross section of the chimney portion of thecompensating structure illustrated in FIGURE 2 and taken substantiallyon the line 4 4 in FIGURE 2.

With particular reference to the gures of the drawings, a specificembodiment of the present invention will now be considered in detail.

As shown in FIGURE 1, the granular material conditioning apparatus 10includes the mill 12, a sample feedingstructure 14, compensatingstructure 16 separating structure l, metering means 2t]l for meteringadditives to granular material in mill 12 and electric control apparatus22 responsive to the separating structure 18 for controlling themetering means 20 to meter additives tothe mill 12 to provide granularmaterial having a predetermined moldability.

In operation, an additive such as water is passed from the meteringmeans 20 into the mill 12 where it is mixed with granular material. Acont-inuous sample of granular material is fed through sample feedingstructure 14 past the compensating structure 16 which functions toproduce the same effect on the physical properties of the sample ofgranular material as a predetermined distance of travel of the granularmaterial on a separate conveyor to a utilizing device would normallyhave. The granular material is then separated in accordance with themoldability thereof in separating structure 18. The moldability of thegranular material is sensed by the control apparatus 22 which in turnactuates the valves 23 and 2S of metering means 2G to cut oil theaddition of water to the mill 12 when a predetermined mold-ability ofthe sample of granular material is sensed.

The details of the mill 12, sample feeding structure 14, separatingstructure 18, control apparatus 22, and metering means Zi? areconsidered in the above referenced patent application, of which thepresent application is a division. This structure will not therefore beconsidered in detail herein.

The compensating structure 16 which is the subject matter of the presentinvention is positioned between the sample feeding structure and theseparating structure 18 and includes a source of hot air under pressure24, a chamber 26 into which the heated air under pressure is passed,openings 28y in the bottom of the extended trough portionA 30. of theseparating structure 18 through which trough the granular material fedfrom the mill 12 is passed, and the chimney 32 secured to the trough 30by convenient meansl such` as welding (not shown) having a, plurality ofbattles 34 therein.

The compensating apparatus 16 functions to blow granular material passeddown the trough into the chimney 32, where the granular material istumbled so thatv the` physical properties of the sample of granularmaterial, are changed in the same manner that the physical properties ofthe sample of granular material would be changed on traveling a greaterdistance between the granular material conditioning mill 12 and a remotelocation at which the granular material is utilized or between thel mill12 and` a more remotely located separating structure 18,.

As shown best in FIGURE 2, a substantially continuous sample of granularmaterial 50 is fed from chute 36 into trough 30 from the container 4i?of mill 12 through sample feeding structure 14 on rotation of themulling rollers 44' and Scrapers 46 of the mill 12. The trough y30 is anextension of the separating structure 18 which is caused to vibrate bythe vibrating means 42 to advance granular material along the trough 30`in the direction of' arrow 48'..

The sample of granular material 50 as it is passed yover the openings 28in trough 30 is subjected to jets of heated air under pressure fromchamber 26. The air under pressure inV chamber 26 is provided from asource of hot air under pressure through the flexible hose 52 which isconnected between the source of hot air under pressure and the chamber26 to permit vibration of the trough 30.

The jets of hot air under pressure blow the granular material passingthrough trough 30 in the direction of arrow 48 into the chimney 32 ofthe compensating structure 16 where itis tumbled so that it is dried andheated. The moisture content and temperature of the granular material isthus changed in substantially the same manner that these physicalproperties are effected on greater travel thereof through a trough suchas the trough 30 or the usual conveyer to a remote location. Thesephysical properties of the granular material can be controlled as thegranular material passes through the compensating structure 16 byvarying the pressure and temperature of the air supplied' ot the chamber26.

The baiiies 34 provided in the chimney $2 serve to permit the granularmaterial to rise in the center of the chimney and to be returneddownwardly along the walls ofthe chimney in an advantageous flow. Thegranular material in` the chimney will of course be saturated in a veryshort time after initiation of air pressure to the granular materialpassing down trough 3i) and portions thereof will be continuouslyreturned to the trough 30 while other granular material will be blowninto the chimney 32.

It will be particularly noted that the baflles 34 in the chimney 32' arepositioned longitudinally of the trough 30 and make an angle ofapproximately 30 with respect to the horizontal. The baiiies 34 arefurther positioned closer to the longitudinal center line of the trough30 and chimney 32 as the vertical height of the baffles increase. flowof granular material through the chimney 32.

While one modification of the compensating structure of the inventionhas been considered in detail, it will be This construction adds greatlyto the desired understood that other embodiments and moditicationsthereof are contemplated. It is the intention to include allmodifications and embodiments of the invention as are deined by theappended claims within the scope of ther invention.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. Granular material conditioning apparatus including a mill in whichgranular material is conditioned, separating structure including anelongated open top trough having openings through the bottom of aportion thereof for separating a sample of granular material fed theretofrom the mill, sample feeding structure positioned between the mill andseparating structure for feeding a sample of granular material to theseparating structure, and compensating structure for the sample ofgranular material including a chimney positioned over. the openingsthrough the portion ofthe trough including bai-iles therein forcontrolling the flow ofl granular material blown into the chimney fromthe trough, means forming a chamber beneath the portion of` the trough,and means for blowing a conditioned gas under pressure into the chamberand through the openings in said trough to blow the sample of granularmaterial passed' through the trough into the chimney whereby thegranular material is cornpensated for a relatively shortv distance of"travel through the separating structure.

2. In granular material conditioning apparatus including' a mill inwhich granular material is conditioned, separating structure includingan elongatedv open top trough having openings through the bottom of aportion thereof for separating a sample of granular material fed theretofrom the mill, and sample feeding structure positioned between the milland separating structure for feeding a sample` of granular material tothe separating s ructure, compensating structure for the sample ofgranular material including a chimney positioned over the openingsthrough the portion of the trough including baflles therein forcontrolling the flow of granular material blown into the chimney fromthe trough, meansv forming a chamber beneath the portion of the trough,and means for blowing a conditioned gas under pressure into the chamberand through the openings in said trough to blow the sample of granularmaterial passed through the trough into the chimney whereby the granularmaterial is compensated fora relatively short distance of travel throughthe separating structure.

3. Structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein the battles extendtransversely ofthe chimneyy and longitudinally of the elongated open toptrough.

4. Structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein the batiles are inclinedwith respect to the horizontal in a direction transversely of theelongated open top trough and downwardly outwardly of the elongated opentop trough on opposite sides of the longitudinall center line of theelongated open top trough.

5. Structure as set forth in claim 3 wherein the baffles are positionedin pairs vertically. of thev chimney and each pair of baffles issymmetrical about the longitudinal center line of the elongated` opentop trough and are progressively closer together outwardly of theelongated open top trough.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,960,616 5/'1934Bartram 34-10 2,017,586 10/1935 Cottee 34-10 3,031,769 5/1962 Wilson34-57 3,166,383 1/1965 Morris 34-10 WILLIAM F. ODEA, Primary Examiner,JQHN L CAMBY, Examiner,

1. GRANULAR MATERIAL CONDITIONING APPARATUS INCLUDING A MILL IN WHICHGRANULAR MATERIAL IS CONDITIONED, SEPARATING STRUCTURE INCLUDING ANELONGATED OPEN TOP TROUGH HAVING OPENINGS THROUGH THE BOTTOM OF APORTION THEREOF FOR SEPARATING A SAMPLE OF GRANULAR MATERIAL FED THERETOFROM THE MILL, SAMPLE FEEDING STRUCTURE POSITIONED BETWEEN THE MILL ANDSEPARATING STRUCTURE FOR FEEDING A SAMPLE FOR GRANULAR MATERIAL TO THESEPARATING STRUCTURE, AND COMPENSATING STRUCTURE FOR THE SAMPLE OFGRANULAR MATERIAL INCLUDING A CHIMNEY POSITIONED OVER THE OPENINGSTHROUGH THE PORTION OF THE TROUGH INCLUDING BAFFLES THEREIN FORCONTROLLING THE FLOW OF GRANULAR MATERIAL BLOWN INTO THE CHIMNEY FROMTHE TROUGH, MEANS FORMING A CHAMBER BENEATH THE PORTION OF THE TROUGH,AND MEANS FOR BLOWING A CONDITIONED GAS UNDER PRESSURE INTO THE CHAMBERAND THROUGH THE OPENINGS IN SAID TROUGH TO BLOW THE SAMPLE OF GRANULARMATERIAL PASSED THROUGH THE TROUGH INTO THE CHIMNEY WHEREBY THE GRANULARMATERIAL IS COMPENSATED FOR A RELATIVELY SHORT DISTANCE OF TRAVELTHROUGH THE SEPARATING STRUCTURE.